Apparatus for preventing escape of oil from submarine tanks



G. BAUER'AND F. KRAMER. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ESCAPE OF OIL FROM SUBMARINE TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31,1921- Patentd May 2, 1922.

l-iin nf 'amlmili 1 s n STATES PATENT OFFICE,

NEAR HAMBURG, GERMANY.

APPARATUS ro'nrnnvnn'rine ESCAPE or (31L FROM sUBMAItiNn TANKS.

intents;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented llylay 2, 192-2 Application filedAugusttI, .1921 Serial No. 497,242.

Gasman unnna run raovrsrons or THE ACT or MARCH 3, 1921, 41 scmr. n, 1313.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV BAUER, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, and a resident of Hamburg, Germany, and FRITZ KR MER, a citizen of the Republicof Germany, and a resident ofBlankenese-Dockem huden, near'Hamburg, Germany, have ininvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Escape ofOil from Submarine Tanks, (for which we have filed applications in Germany April 6,

1916, Patent No. 335,191, and England July the control of the i 920, Patent No. 147,192,) of. which the following is a specification.

This invention is a connecting means for use between two sources of fluid pressure whereby pressure in one will be automaticallymaintained below that of the other and the pressure diiference keptwithin comparatively narrow limits, even though there be a comparatively wide variation of the higher pressure.

The invention may be used forvarious purposes, but we have particularly in mind pressure of the fuel oil tank of submarines. Such tanks are commonly situated 'outslde of the main hull of the submarine and the walls are not built to resist very great pressure differences onopwalls without the strain developing leaks. The escape of oileither owing to leaks or in consequence of the direct connection of the tankswith the water ,betrays the position of the boat by floating 35 onthe surface of the water.

The present invention is a device. for automatically maintaining in the interior of the tanks a pressure which is less than the 1 pressure of the water surrounding the tanks.

The said. device may for instance comprise a] differential piston interposed; between the tanks and the water surrounding them, with the larger surface under the influence of the pressureof the oil in the tanks and the smaller surface under the influence of the pressure of the surrounding water. The movement of this piston being thus dependent on the external pressure of the water and the internal pressure of the oil in the tanks may also permit. acompensating liquid to enter the tanks to replace the oil withdrawn from them, or the compensating liquid to be admitted when oil passes outof them as a re-' creases. The compensating liquid may be the surrounding sea water and may, withoutdetriment, be first utilized to operate the differential piston itself and then be allowed tov pass into the interior of the tanks, the piston acting as a valve to control the entry of this liquid. Any well known kind of reversing device may be employed for reversing-the piston at its extreme positions.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efi'ect, one embodimentof thesame will now be described.

The accompanying drawing shows dia-. grammatically in cross section a submarine provided with a form of the invention.

A represents the hull of the submarine and A one of the oil tanks. B represents a pipe leading to the tank A through a valve or cock I), and C represents another pipe leading to the exterior of the submarine through a valve or cook 0. Between the pipes B and C,

pressure of the sea water on the lower surface of the piston causes thelatter to rise until 'a pressure is produced in the tank A in proportion to the difference in the area of'the two surfaces of the piston. If the volume of the cylinder at any time is not suflicient to' produce the necessary pressure, the opening 6 willbe uncovered by thepiston so as to permit sea water to enter the tankfrom the pipe C, this operation conthe surface the I I tinuing until the pressure in the tank is 7 sufficient to move the piston downwards sufficiently to close the opening b'. The piston should only expose the opening 6 to such an extent as will keep the reduction of pressure' constantand therefore only unthe piston owing to the pressure of the sea covers the lower edge of this opening which with the pistommay be regarded as a controlling valve. v a a I $hou'ld it be required to draw oil from the tank AVwhen the submarine is, in its submerged condition, the ratio of the sea and r tankpressure is maintained as the piston allows an amount of water to pass into the tank equal to the amountof oil withdrawn;

When the submarine rises to the surface,

on the smaller surface thereof; moves down wards until its rod'bears' again stthe spring v E. The apparatus therefore keeps up the reductionof pressure in the tank evenwhen the'slib marine rises to thesurface until the volume in the cylinderbetween th'elopenings b and c is used up,but this does'not occur f I within widediving limits providedthat no appreciable'volume-of air exists in the tank.

. If the pressure in the interior. oifthe'tan'k further increases in proportion to the decreasing external pressure, the piston continues to move downwards and compressing the spring E, uncoversthe opening 0 in orderlto establish communication between the'fs'e'a and the interior of the tank; This 7 can onlyhappen when air has collected in f p large quantities prior to diving, as otherand to move thel-piston-back, whereby the opening c 'is again'closed; V c v Instead of the said differential piston any other device which gives a differential pressure effectm ay' be employed; such for example as two pairs of enclosed gear wheels meshing with each other after the manner of oil pumps; these gear wheels inorder to produce the difierential effect, are of differentialdiameter and," are coupled together.

In a similar manner, insteadof thisfidifferential gear wheel, arrangement,other pump arrangements which act-in the same general way as regards the difierential pressure j effect, may be employed for the production ofthe reduced pressure in the tanks.

' Havingthus described my invention, what 1 I claim as new and'des'irerto secure by 'Let- 55 I W N p a ters Patent is: i c 4 p V Means for use on submarines for prewhich are situated outside the submarine and.

are not built toresist'pressure', COIIIPIISIIIg a" device which automatically ope'ratesto maintain inthe interior of the tanks a pressure which'is less than the pressure of the water surrounding the tanks. a

2. Means for preventing the escape of; oil from the oil tank ofa submarineivcomprising a differential pressure device which is interposed between the tanks and the water I surrounding them and isflu'nder the influence of the pressure in the tanks and the pressure of the surrounding water, substantially as described. V v r 3;.,A submarine having an oil tank and connections between said tank and the outside seawater including a differential piston having its larger surface exposed to the pressure in the tank and its smaller surface exposed to the pressu're ofthe sea water.

4. submarine having an oil tank and a differential pressure device which is interposed between the tanks and the water sur rounding. themand .is under the influence of the pressure in the. tanks and the pressure'of the surrounding water, substantially as described. v I a 5. Two sources of fluid pressure and aconnection between including a diiiferential pis- .ton having'one surface exposed to the presi sure of one source and the other exposed to the pressure ofthe other source, and means for establishing a by-pass around said piston when the latter is in either of itslimiting positions. v I 7 6. Two sources of fluld pressure and a connectionbetween including a diiferential piston having one surfaceexposed to the'pressure of one source an'dthe other exposed to the pressure of the other source and means forestablishing direct connection between said'sources when the piston is in either "of its limiting positions.

7. 'Means for maintaining apressure difference within predetermined limits between two sources offiuid'pressure, including a differential pressure device with opposite workingsurfacesexposedto the two fluid; pressures and means for establishing connections *between sa d sources'fwhen' thepress'ure dif- 'ferenc'e-increases beyond or fallsbelow' said limits. a s V a 8; Means for preventing the escape of oil from the oilta nkof a submarine, comprising i a cylinder having one end connected to 'the i tankand the other endconnected to the sea, 7 anda' dlfi'erential piston within said cylinder and separating said ends.

. 9. Means for 'preventingthe escape of oil fromfthe oiljtank of a submarine,comprising* cylinder having one end connected to the tankfand the othe'r end connected to the sea,

and a differential piston within said cylinder I V I and separating said ends, said' 'cylinderhavventing the escape of o1l from the oil tanks ing port: adjacent to the first mentionedend and uncovered by the pistonto permit open 10. 'oil from the oil-tank of'a submarine, comprising a cylinder'having one end connected to the tank and the other end connected to the sea, and a differential piston within'said cylinder and separating said ends, said cylinder having a port adjacent to the second mentioned end and uncovered by the piston to permit open communication between the tank and sea when'the piston is at said end.

11. Means for preventing the escape of oil from the oil tank of a submarine, comprising a cylinder having one end connected to the tank and the other end connected to the sea, and a differential piston within said cylinder and separating said ends, said cylinder having ports adjacent to each end thereof and uncovered to permit free flow through the cylinder between the tank and sea whenthe Signed at Hamburg, in the county of Hamburg and State of Hamburg, this 6th 25 day of August, 1921.

' DR. GUSTAV BAUER.

FRITZ KRAMER. 

